


what she never imagined - my rina hoco twist

by glowinmikaelson



Category: High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (TV)
Genre: Endgame Ricky Bowen/Gina Porter, Episode: s01e05 The Homecoming, F/M, Homecoming Dance, Rina Week 2020 (HSM: The Series)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-05-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:40:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24135982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glowinmikaelson/pseuds/glowinmikaelson
Summary: in which gina porter gets a ride home after her first failed homecoming dance, from ricky bowen-a boy she initially thinks barely knows her and vice versa, only to find that they might understand each other more than she had originally thought.
Relationships: Ricky Bowen/Gina Porter
Comments: 3
Kudos: 24





	what she never imagined - my rina hoco twist

**Author's Note:**

> this is for twt rina week! i don’t really know if i like this because i haven’t written in a while, but i hope you like it, still. thank you sm for reading if you do<33 
> 
> & a thank you to rina book club for setting up #rinaweek2020, y’all are keeping rina nation going!

Gina Porter never imagined that she would ever get the chance to attend a high school Homecoming dance. Her mom's job moved them around so much that she didn't think she would ever get the opportunity to go to one because she could never form any genuine and lasting friendships.

And who wanted to go alone to Homecoming?

Not Gina.

She needed to appear as the badass she had made herself out to be in front of everyone and around everyone at all times. Moving around so much had made her cautious of people. It had made her wary of herself until all she could think about was how she couldn't allow anyone to know her—the real her—because people either left her or she left them. At first, she always got her heart broken. Gina couldn't let that happen anymore.

Which was why she never imagined she would attend a Homecoming dance. But suddenly, she was going to one and telling herself that it was because she was scheming and teaming up with East High's most popular senior to get the lead roles in their school's musical. She had managed to convince him to take her as his date for the sake of their scheme and not because all she wanted was to experience Homecoming.

Right?

Well, at least it had been to her, and her date until her fun was cut short by someone she would never have thought to do it.

Ricky Bowen—the boy with curly hair and a vibe that screamed, "I'm a sad boy! Help me," and also someone who barely knew her—had the nerve to question Gina's character and call her out in front of her other peers who had barely gotten to know her as well.

Gina just wanted to experience Homecoming and have fun...despite all the scheming that went along with it. She hadn't dressed up in her most dazzling dress, straightened her hair, and laid on a thick amount of hairspray just to be humiliated by a boy who barely knew her, but had suddenly taken some kind of offense by her.

So, after her date had also questioned her motives and after she had thrown a cup of punch in his face, she had stalked off, finally resigned and ready to go home.

Homecoming had been ruined.

She hadn't imagined a lot of things about that night. Such as Ricky Bowen finding her as she was about to leave and apologizing to her. Or like Gina falling for every word that came out of his mouth and deciding to give him another chance when he said something that struck her somewhere inside.

_"I thought we sort of like, got each other."_

She had certainly never imagined that she would suggest him giving her a ride home to make it even between them.

But she did.

And he had.

And her Homecoming night was going to end with Ricky Bowen parked in her driveway.

Gina inwardly sighs as she stares up at the lonely home that was hers. The lights were off inside, but her mom was probably inside awake, waiting for her to get home safely. Gina's mom might have asked too much of her with all the moving around, but Gina couldn't deny that her mom was one of the best people in the world who loved her daughter endlessly.

Ricky turns the key in the ignition, and the low sound of his car's engine dies down with it. He doesn't say anything as he places his hands on the steering wheel, looking anywhere but at Gina.

The drive to her house had consisted of comfortable silence and soft humming coming from Ricky as the radio played pop songs. If he knew them, Gina figured he probably liked them too. Now, the silence felt awkward.

Gina bites the inside of her cheek, the silence beginning to make her anxious before she decides to speak. "So this is where I live. Ta-da," she says and fakes a cheery smile. Upon seeing him study her home, Gina's insides turn. "Let me guess, you pictured a wrought iron gate and a bunch of gargoyles?"

Ricky looks away from her house and over to her before his eyes dart down quickly. Almost as if he was nervous or afraid to look at her for too long. "Kinda," he jokes and then chuckles. "Nah, you're not that scary."

Him saying that makes Gina feel a little bit better than she had mere seconds ago. "Really? You don't think that I'm too bitchy or that I come off as 'intense'?" she asked, emphasizing that last word.

Ricky's eyes dart up to hers, and he frowns. His hand seems to tighten its grip on the steering wheel. "No. Of course, I don't think that. Who thinks that?" he asks her, worry seeping into his voice.

Gina shakes her head. "No one...everyone. It's fine," she says softly.

His concern took her by surprise, and she suddenly regrets joking about the things people say about her. Ricky might have called her out earlier that night, but it seemed like he was a genuine guy.

Like they could be friends…No. Gina didn't make friends.

Ricky's frown remains, and Gina studies him quietly. She realizes that although they barely knew anything about each other, she couldn't help but feel a small and tiny bit of a connection to him.

That kind of scared her.

"Thank you," he says, interrupting her thoughts.

Gina's eyes meet his own, and she laughs nervously. Why was he thanking her?

"For what?" she asks him.

"You're the reason I stayed with the show. That night at the skatepark?" He tells her, the gratitude evident.

Gina remembers the memory. She had gone after him to get the lead role she deserved back from Nini—his ex-girlfriend. Gina remembers how, after Ricky and her had spoken, Gina stayed and watched him skate for a couple more hours before going home. She blushes and pushes the memory away.

"Oh, yeah! Of course. I-I meant every single word I said."

And she had.

"Even after I bit your head off back there at the dance?" he laughs, embarrassed.

"Yeah, that was uncalled for...but you apologized. So, thank you for that. And for the ride home."

"I am sorry," he apologizes for the second time that night, searching her eyes, that suddenly Gina is the one nervous to look at him. "It _was_ uncalled for. I didn't mean any of it.

"Do you _ever_ say what you mean?" she asks before she can stop herself.

Ricky laughs nervously. "What?"

Gina shifts in her seat and looks up toward her house. Her mom hasn't turned the lights on inside the house despite probably hearing them pull into the driveway. She turns to Ricky and shrugs. "The first day of school, I overheard you and Nini arguing in the hallway," she began. "My locker is a few down from hers...I'm pretty sure anyone nearby could assume from your argument that you couldn't say those three words?"

Ricky clears his throat and looks at his hands on the steering wheel. He doesn't say anything in response, and Gina curses herself inside of her head.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," she rushes out and begins to push open her door. "Thanks for the ride, Bowen."

As her car door swings open, she feels a hand grasp her wrist. Gina freezes and turns to look at it, and then at Ricky, whose eyes are wide and staring at her, and whose mouth is open as if he wants to say something, but he can't.

Gina figures that might be it. She tries to calm her pounding heart as she sits back in her seat and closes her door.

They sit in silence for a few moments before Ricky lets out a breath and sinks in the driver's seat. He leans his head back on the headrest, and Gina's eyes follow the movement, settling on the side of his face, where his jaw clenches and his eyes are almost teary-like in the moonlight.

"I—," he starts and sighs. "I _do_ say things that I mean. I do it all the time, just…" he shakes his head and taps his fingers on the steering wheel. "I don't know.

"Yes, you do," Gina whispers.

Ricky's head snaps up to look over at her only to find her studying him. He looks away again.

"You _do_ know," she tells him. "The word is that you two dated for two years? Isn't that enough time to know if you love someone or not?"

Ricky doesn't say anything.

"I think you're just too scared to admit it, but you do know. You know why you couldn't say it," Gina continues gently. "And it's okay. You're not a bad guy. It's like..." she pauses for a moment to think about how to communicate what she means. "It's like this one quote by one of my favorite authors: you either have the feeling, or you don't."

Gina lets her words sink for a moment and waits for Ricky to understand what she was saying. She wanted him to realize that although they barely knew each other...they did get each other.

Gina was beginning to realize it too.

She hadn't imagined that would happen that night.

And before she could stop herself, she was doing another thing that would have been unthinkable to her just hours before.

Gina leans over the space in between them and kisses his cheek lightly. She pulls away mere centimeters from his face as he turns his head to look at her, seeming almost awed at her and her bold gesture as his hazel eyes search hers. Gina smiles softly and doesn't move. "Goodnight, Ricky," she says with a sincere thank you and adieu in her voice.

She pulls away to open her door and steps out to walk up into her house. Gina's lips tingle and her heart's racing inside of her chest, and she's trying hard not to look back at Ricky or trip as she makes her way to her front door.

She hopes her words got through to him. She didn't know him much, but she did know he was genuine. He was kind. He was honest—even if he didn't want to admit it, he knew.

_You either have the feeling, or you don't._

As Gina steps inside her house and closes the door behind her, she has a feeling. It's a small tingly-fluttery sensation in her stomach that stays with her all night and even as she goes to bed.

She falls asleep wondering if Ricky has a feeling too.

And maybe everything she hadn't imagined for that night had made her first Homecoming dance better than any other version she had pictured.


End file.
